Jim-

There have been days when my mediocre piping makes me think I should have chosen a less ostentatious instrument on which to demonstrate my skills, but I don't intend to replace these pipes. I reckon if my teacher has been playing her pipes since about 1970, I can play my pipes until I retire, at least! I got the AB4 with zoomorphic engraving and my wife bought me a buckle for my kilt belt with a zoomorphic critter on it, so my belt matches my pipes. Kind of fun, really. Most people seem to end up with the celtic knot engraving, which is also really nice.

Bagpipes don't have a cheap entry-level version that plays well the way violins, flutes, clarinets, and guitars do. Any of these can be had in very good quality for under $350. At the same time, bagpipes don't routinely go nearly as high in price as those other instruments. I have a friend who plays a $13,000 violin and another with a $15,000 flute. You'll see professional pipers playing the same pipes they started with and they sound wonderful. Not because they got lucky early on, but because they learned to get the best from the instrument. Any reputable maker will generally be the same internally whether it is the "student" model or the tricked-out bling pipes. Internal dimensions are what makes the difference in sound. All the rest is just window dressing. But I like window dressing!

Enjoy your pipes when you get them!

-Patrick